Self aligning interfitting spindle and socket element



March 14, 1933. F. NOLTIN 1,901,355

SELF ALIGNING INTERFITTING SPINDLE AND SOCKET ELEMENT Filed Oct. 21, 1951 10 f 5 MIN/59 llllll II Patented Mar. 14, 1933 UNITED STATES Pram oFFicE j FRED NOLTIN, OF BERWYN, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE OSCAR C. RIXSON CO CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS SELF ALIGNING m'rnrarrr'rme SPINDLE AND sooxnr' ELEMENT Application filed October 21, 1931. Serial No. 570,245.

This invention relates to door closers and checks where the door is supported upon a spindle extending upwardly from a closing and checking mechanism imbedded beneath the surface of the floor. There are other uses for the improved construction, but it is designed particularly for use in mechanisms of that class described in patent to Oscar Rixson, mounting for door closers, No. 1,218,471, March 6, 1917 or the door closers and checks described in the Rixson Patents Nos. 1,025,309, May 7, 1912; and 1,064,255 and 1,064,256 of June 10,1913.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved arm for rigid attachment to the bottom of a door and having a socket or aperture so formed to receive the tapered end of the door closer and check spindle firmly, without permitting play between the elements, even though the spindle and arm are not directly aligned.

In the drawing which illustrates the improved construction,

Figure 1 is a plan view of the self aligning arm showing in section a fragment of a door to which the arm is rigidly secured, and

also in outline the cover of the door closer and check.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side view partly in section of the structure which is indicated in plan by Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view of the door check spindle and a portion of the arm connecting the spindle with the door.

Fig. a shows the construction of Fig. 3 in side elevation with the armin section.

Fig. 5 is an end view of the spindle with the arm in section as indicated by the line 55 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to that shown by Fig. 3, but with the arm slightly tilted with reference to the spindle.

Fig. 7 is a side View partly in section of the disaligned spindle and arm shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary plan view of the arm provided with a modified form of aperture or socket for receiving the end of the spindle.

The connecting arms between the doors and the spindles of floor checks customarily are met alignment.

provided with tapered apertures or sockets H for exactly fitting the tapered end of the check spindle. Care is necessary to make the door and the check mechanism align truly; otherwise an'objectionable lost motion develops between the door and the check mechanism.- This is also the case whenthe two are truly aligned, but later lose the cor- A common arrangement of the spindle and door connecting arm secured thereon, is to employ .a spindle of round section and flattened opposite sides at the end of the spindle at an inclination to each other toform a wedge shaped spindle end. The arm attached to the door is provided with a socket or aperture formed to exactly fit the wedge shaped end of thespindle. This is entirely satisfactory provided correct alignmentcan be obtained and maintained- If there is lack of true alignment, corresponding play exists between the door, and

the spindle. The spindle operates and is operated by a door closer and checking'mechanism therefore, any play between the spindle and the door is objectionable.

In the present construction, the wedge shaped spindle end is employed as before, likewise the arm has a tapered socket oraperture for receiving the spindle, but the faces of this aperture opposite the flattened surfaces of the spindle each comprises two fiattened areas at an angle to each other, which areinclined laterally as well as longitudinally with reference to the axis of the, spindle.

With such form ofaperture, the edges only of the flattened surfaces of the spindle engage the faces of the apertures in the arm. Thisv engagement takes place along these edges of the spindle, even though the arm'is tilted longitudinally' Whether or not there is exactly true alignment, the spindle and The spindle is therefore secured to the door to turn therewith by means of an arm 8 setting within a recess 9 at the bottom of the door and rigidly secured to the door by screws 10 and 11.

The spindle 5 has bearings in the door check, one of which bearings is represented by the boss 12. The spindle is generally round in cross section, with a tapered upper end formed by the opposed flat surfaces 1 thereof, as indicated in 5. This makes the end of the spindle wedge shaped, and it fits within the aperture or socket 2 of the arm 8. This aperture lengthwise of the arm is longer than the diameter of the spindle, and the opposed faces 3 thereof which engage along the edges 13 of the flattened surfaces 1 of the spindle, are formed to wedgingly receive the spindle end, if the latter or the arm is tilted longitudinally of the arm. These opposed surfaces 3 of the aperture in the spindle are each composed of two plane surfaces 4, meeting at an angle along a medial line, as indicated at 14 in Figs. "3 and 6. i

In the use of the construction illustrated, the arm 8 is tightly forced upon the wedge end of the spindle and a rigid connection is made by the edges 13 of the wedge end of the spindle biting into the inclined surfaces 4 of the socket 2 in the arm 8. The engagement is complete along the edges 13, whether the "spindle is perfectly perpendicular to arm 8,

or the two are disaligned, as indicated in Fig. 7. The weight of the door serves to maintain a tight fit.

Fig. 8 shows a modification of the form of the aperture in arm 8. This particular aperture 15 is elliptical in plan, tapering from the larger ellipse 16 at the bottom of the arm to the smaller ellipse 17 at the top of the arm. The same form of spindle 5 as illustrated in the remaining views of the drawing fits this tapered elliptical aperture, and the arm and spindle may be wedged together whether in true alignment or the arm is set at an angle to the axis-of the spindle in the longitudinal direction of the arm, the latter being the character of disalignment most commonly contended with, and for which the improvement is intended to compensate.

' I claim:

1. An interfitting spindle and socket member, comprising a spindle having a socket fitting end with opposite sides inclined inwardly toward the end of the spindle, and a socket element formed with a socket to receive the tapered end of the spindle, said socket having opposed faces formed for engagement with the spindle along the edges only of the inclined faces thereof.

2. An interfitting spindle and socket member, comprising a spindle having a socket fitting end with opposite sides inclined inwardly toward the end of the spindle, and 21.

ber 1931.

FRED NOLTIN. 

